Following the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or for 2026 is awarded to Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu. The win succeeds Jafar Panahi’s thriller It Was Just an Accident, which claimed the top prize in 2025.
The Palme d’Or is widely recognised as the festival’s highest honour, presented to the director of the Best Feature Film. This year’s winner, Fjord, is a political drama that draws inspiration from real-life events and explores ideological tensions within contemporary society.
The film follows the Gheorghiu family, a group of Romanian evangelicals who relocate to a small Norwegian town situated on the edge of a fjord. Through their journey, the story examines the widening divide between progressive and traditional values.
Alongside Fjord, another major winner at the 2026 edition of the festival is Minotaur, directed and written by Andrey Zvyagintsev. The film wins the Grand Prix, succeeding Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value.
As one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, Cannes continues to spotlight both established and emerging voices, with this year’s selection highlighting a range of politically and emotionally driven narratives.
